Jan Vesely, the Czech Wizard of Washington
Last season, NBA fans quickly fell in love with the explosive athleticism and dunking ability of Los Angeles Clippers rookie Blake Griffin. This season, look for Wizards lottery pick Jan Vesely from the Czech Republic to dazzle crowds in Washington, DC – wearing his familiar red, white and blue.
The Wizards, after years of mediocrity, will become a team that people want to watch. Moving forward, small forward Vesely and center JaVale McGee combine for what may be the most exciting frontcourt duo in the NBA for years to come. McGee is 23 years old, and Vesely is just 21 – if each player meets his full potential, the Wizards could likely become a contender in the stacked Eastern Conference.
Both players are very tall with lengthy wingspans, explosive athleticism, and impressive dunking ability. Yet what makes the potential tandem so exciting is the fact that they play completely different positions and are truly different players, despite these physical similarities.
McGee, at 7’0″, is a center with excellent rebounding and defensive instincts. In just under 28 minutes per game last season, he averaged 8.0 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game. Over the course of his first few seasons in the league, McGree has gotten the majority of his points from being active around the rim, and the occasional post-up.
Meanwhile, Vesely plays small forward, and at 6’11” will likely have that advantage over every other player at that position this season. On the offensive end, he is the prototypical wing player, and extremely versatile. He will get plenty of points off cuts to the rim and fast break dunks thanks to his quickness and athleticism.
According to scouting reports, he also has the ability to post down low and clean up on the offensive glass. While he isn’t the greatest jump shooter, he already showed great improvements in this area last season in the Adriatic league.
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sely still needs to build his upper body strength, but when he does, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him at the power forward position on occasion. With his height and wingspan allowing for such a transition, the Wizards could really make things difficult for opposing defenses.
“I’m trying to play more with my back to the basket this season. I’m working on this part of my game in practice. I feel more comfortable down there,” Vesely told toldDraft Express
His versatility will come in handy not only for his own individual growth, but also for the Wizards’ offense and its rotations.
Along with McGee, Vesely will provide another explosive option for Wall to pass to when he penetrates into the lane, after averaging 8.0 assists per game last season despite several weak links around him.
At times, Wall was also criticized for his inability to consistently finish around the rim. While this is something the young point guard is certain to improve as time goes on, Vesely and McGee together should provide a safety net for when he explodes towards the hoop.
According to Draft Express, less than five percent of Vesely’s points scored overseas came from isolation plays. While this is something he needs to improve on in order to become a superstar at some point, at the present time he is the perfect fit for the Wall ball-dominated offense. And because Vesely can score in a number of ways, it shouldn’t be an issue at all.
It is for all of these reasons that the Wizards made the right choice with their 2011 lottery pick. They drafted perfectly towards their needs, with staples already at point guard and center – arguably the two most important positions on the court for winning teams in today’s NBA.
In an effort to find similarities with previous NBA players, Vesely has been compared to plenty of Europeans, from Dirk Nowitzki to Andrei Kirlenko. It is understandable, as Americans have trouble comprehending the potential impact of Europeans coming into the NBA. People have seen college basketball players on the court – in comparison Europeans are an unknown commodity.
In reality, Vesely is unlike any other European prospect that has come into the league, despite the comparisons. Sure, there are similarities – Vesely is tall like Nowitzki and lanky and athletic like Kirilenko. But other than that, he’s truly an individual talent, with his own strengths and weaknesses.
Efforts to compare him to previous players will in the end fail, just as they did for Nowitzki. And like Nowitzki, Vesely could very well transform into a star.
Of course, he has a lot of work to do – he’s still very raw in most aspects. While his offensive ability is the most exciting part of his game, he should be a very capable rebounder and shot blocker over time, though his European stats don’t give the indication he is fantastic at either just yet. Defensively, he should prove to be a problem for some small forwards because of his height and athleticism.
With some young NBA players, the lack of maturity (whether on the court or off of it) has prevented them from developing into star players. Vesely’s maturity, however, has already been proven.
Before the 2010 season, he actually withdrew his name from the NBA Draft to return to Europe, aware that he needed to “continue to learn” and work on various aspects of his game. Considering that he already would have been a lottery pick, it is refreshing to see such a young player completely aware of his own strengths and weaknesses.
It is this decision, among other things, that should give Wizards fans hope for the upcoming seasons as they watch Vesely develop. He also appears to be truly unique individual, which is a plus for the fans.
On draft night, he quickly proclaimed himself eligible for the dunk contest with a heavy European accent, a huge smile on his face and his six-foot blonde girlfriend on his arm wooing the crowds in Jersey. In the NBA, while talent is always the most important, it’s a player’s charisma, charm and uniqueness off the court that can win fans over.
Heading into the 2011-2012 season, the Wizards will once again don the red, white, and blue worn during their Washington Bullets years. With Vesely in tow, Gilbert Arenas gone for good, and the rest of the roster falling into place, they’ll simply have a brand new identity on the court.
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